010: Reactivating The Family Every Week with Mike Clear and Sherry Surratt

The church has 40 hours with a child annually, and their parents have 3,000 hours with them. If we want to impact the lifelong faith of a child, we need to partner with their parents if we have any chance of being effective. The good news is: Parents want a plan. On today’s episode, Mike Clear and Sherry Surratt are talking about reactivating the family. When the church helps the parents, then both influences win.

Blog: Orange Leaders – a blog with strategies, tips and ideas from leaders influencing the faith and character of the next generation

Featured Guests

MIKE CLEAR

Mike Clear is the director of children’s strategy at The reThink Group. He graduated from Mid-Atlantic Christian University in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, with a minor in ping-pong. Prior to coming on board at reThink, Mike was one of the founding pastors of Discovery Church in Simi Valley, California, where he served as the Family Ministries Director for nearly 10 years. Mike lives in Cumming, Georgia, with his wife Crystal and their two children, Nash and Kennedy.

Ideas to Influence the Next Generation

1. You have 40 hours. Parents have 3,000

In the average year, the church has 40 hours with a child and their parents have 3,000. This means that a parent has 75 times more influence on a child than you ever will as a church. If you aren’t taking steps to reactivate parents and work with them then you’re wasting a huge opportunity to help a child’s faith. When the church helps the parents, then both influences win.

2. There are four inflection points in a parent’s annual rhythm

When looking to better partner with parents, focus in on their natural inflection points in the year. An inflection point is where opportunity meets need. It’s when parents are already thinking and worrying about the next routine or phase and what it will bring. These are great points for a church to aim an event.

The first inflection point is in the fall. Families are getting ready for a new phase, a new year of school, and are asking what their rhythm will look like. The second inflection point is in January, when parents are looking to restart. After spring break is when parents are in a focus mode, looking to finish the school year strong with packed scheduled. And lastly, recharge is in the beginning of the summer.

3. Reactivate Parents: There’s an App for that

Orange recently developed the Parent Cue App. A tool that provides easy, just-in-time ideas to do say and think about. Every cue fits the context of a child’s developmental phase. It helps parents understand moments and connect with their kids.

These weekly cues will change with each child, staying relevant to their phase of life—from babies to high school. Each cue aligns with content developed by Orange. We believe the best way to use this app is to be in a faith community so there are multiple voices in a kid’s life reinforcing the same ideas. Download it for free today and share it with the parents at your church.

Conversation Starters For Your Church

How is our church doing in partnering with parents?

How can we make our take home papers and projects to parents simpler and more effective?

Your Hosts

JOSEPH SOJOURNER

Atlanta’s Sojourner aka Sojo has emerged as one of the most promising voices in hip hop. His passionate message of being a generation of people “fighting for others instead of fighting against others” won the hearts of fans young and old. As well as music, Sojo continues to speak to students and young adults, serves as a creative director to Bigstuf Camps, is the emcee at Catalyst Conferences, and also continues to communicate throughout the six churches of North Point Ministries. Joseph has a passion for creatively engaging the next generation of leaders in the church and culture.

ASHLEY BOHINC

Ashley serves as the Director of Middle School Strategy at Orange and the USA Director of Carry 117. She has worked with students in public education, athletic and ministry settings for the last 12 years. She is most passionate about resourcing the local church, communicating on stage, developing leaders, working with students and world missions. In her downtime, you’ll find her watching Friends, cheering on the Cleveland Cavaliers, traveling, reading, or on one of her Fairytale Friday Adventures.